African ports receive international recognition

Finalists announced in awards competition

Ports in Kenya, Ghana and Benin are represented as finalists in the International Association of Ports and Harbours’ Sustainability Awards for 2025 and will now be vying for public votes before the voting period closes on September 5.

A total of 18 finalists were chosen across six categories that include Infrastructure; Digitalisation; Climate and Energy; Community Building; Environmental Care as well as Health, Safety and Security by an independent expert jury that included Vilosh Naido, Sector Specialist, Transport Infrastructure at the Development Bank of South Africa.

These outstanding projects have been chosen by our expert jury from a long list of 112 eligible projects, who have scored them based on the agreed evaluation criteria. All of these have been added to the publicly-available projects database on the WPSP portal.

“The geographical spread of projects submitted this year is truly global, and we see many ports now submitting more than one initiative. We expect the overall results to be quite close in many of the categories, so as we have seen in the past, the public vote can make all the difference,” notes IAPH technical director and WPSP coordinator Antonis Michail.

A seventh prize, the Akiyama Award, will also be go to the highest-placed IAPH Sustainability Awards finalist runner-up from a Least Developed Country, or a Small Island Developing State.

Chosen as a finalist in the Community Care category, the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) is being recognised for its Corporate Social Responsibility (CS) strategy that is driven by the belief that thriving ports must coexist with thriving communities.

The impact of its CSR initiatives extend far beyond port boundaries with investment in projects in communities across multiple regions in Ghana, particularly in under-resourced and rural areas. Since the integration of this strategy, GPHA has successfully:

◼︎ Provided clean water via boreholes in over 10 under-served communities, reducing waterborne diseases and promoting sanitation.
◼︎ Refurbished, constructed, and equipped health facilities across four regions and awarded medical sponsorships for vulnerable individuals.
◼︎ Provided educational support through donating technology and key resources to various basic and tertiary institutions across Ghana, as well as funding for infrastructure and research support.
◼︎ Development of recreational infrastructure and disaster relief to promote inclusion and resilience.

Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) moved through to the finals of the competition in the Environmental Care category for its Mangrove Restoration Programme. Recognising the importance of mangroves in stabilising the coastline, KPA initiated a mangrove restoration project in Kwale County, south of the Kenyan coast. This initiative aligns with Kenya Ports Authority’s vision of sustainable port operations and conservation of marine biodiversity. The Authority is also aligned with the national goal to plant 15 billion trees under target to combat deforestation, protect life at sea, and enhance climate action.

The Pongwe-Kidimu Community Forest Association (CFA), a local community with a membership of 825 people, in collaboration with KPA is restoring 500 acres of degraded mangroves near Shimoni. This is one of the initiatives that KPA has prioritised through the Green Port policy, to ensure sustainable port operations and conservation of the environment and marine biodiversity.

Work to transform the working and living conditions of dock workers at the Port of Cotonou and dry port of Alada in Benin, has seen this port named as a finalist in the Health, Safety and Security category. Before the establishment of the Single Hiring Office (BEU) in 2023, dock workers operated in precarious conditions—without formal contracts, social protection, and exposed to numerous professional hazards.

The BEU was established as an Economic Interest Group (Groupement d’Intérêt Économique, GIE), initiated and governed jointly by the main approved cargo handling companies operating in the port. This structure ensures collective responsibility, long-term commitment, and shared decision-making in improving the socio-professional situation of more than 5,000 dockers.

Today, the BEU centralises hiring and guarantees formal employment, social security, appropriate PPE, and access to professional training. Through the PPE Centre, dockers receive task-specific equipment, largely produced locally in the Glo-Djigbé Industrial Zone (GDIZ). A digital system ensures traceability and replenishment of gear. The BEU is also developing a port and logistics training school to build local capacity and open new career pathways. In healthcare, the BEU has taken over the existing infirmary and is preparing to open a modern care centre on the CCIB site.

CAST YOUR VOTE
In order to take part in the public vote, people have the chance to review the details of all the projects before submitting their choice for each category. The outcome of the public vote (30%), together with that of the Jury evaluation (70%) will co-determine the winners of the Awards. The voting will remain open until midnight Central European Summer Time (CEST) on 5 September, giving everyone a month to make their choices and to verify their choices online.